More than 900 guests gathered at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts for a meaningful afternoon of music, memories and community. Thanks to our Premier Partner, Saint Luke’s, the community was invited to the Kauffman Center for a free pipe organ concert. Dr. Jan Kraybill, a Grammy-Award nominee and the Kauffman Center’s Organ Conservator, performed the concert on the Julia Irene – Dennie Kauffman Casavant Organ, Opus 3875.
Dr. Kraybill created a special organ program called “Melodies for the Mind” in recognition of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
The event also highlighted the important work Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place is doing through its new Memory Care Center, which supports individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s and other memory challenges.
Festive balloons and giant letters spelling “Melodies for the Mind” welcomed patrons, and before guests took their seats in Helzberg Hall, Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place hosted a booth in Brandmeyer Great Hall, where volunteers shared information, answered questions and patrons could learn about the wide range of services they offer.
Kraybill designed a thoughtful program to show how music can heal and spark memories.
Why Alzheimer’s Awareness Month Matters
According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 6 million Americans, most over the age of 65. It slowly impacts memory, thinking and the ability to carry out daily tasks.
Kraybill shared that Alzheimer’s has affected her own family, making this event especially meaningful to her. She expressed deep gratitude for those who dedicate their lives to supporting individuals and families facing memory loss.
This event was presented in partnership with Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place, which is celebrating 30 years of offering vibrant, independent living with a full spectrum of on-site health care just steps from the Country Club Plaza.
Saint Luke’s opened an all-new Memory Care community, expanding its continuum of care to include specialized support for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other memory conditions. Led by a board-certified physician from the nationally recognized Saint Luke’s Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute, this new space offers:
- Active and engaging daily programming.
- Personalized care plans tailored to each resident.
- Innovative technology to support memory and wellness.
- A soothing, thoughtfully designed environment engineered for comfort, safety and orientation.
Before performing in Helzberg Hall, Dr. Jan Kraybill visited Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place to play for patients — an intimate moment reflecting Saint Luke’s mission to uplift, inspire and offer hope.
About Melodies for the Mind
Kraybill designed the afternoon as a musical journey through remembrance, connection and optimism. A live camera feed projected her hands and feet onto a large screen above the Helzberg Hall stage, allowing the audience to appreciate the intricate artistry required to bring the 5,548-pipe organ to life.
She separated the performance into three parts. The first being Echoes from the Past. She included songs in her set list that brought listeners back to significant chapters from their lives, such as Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, which can be recognized as the traditional song used in graduation ceremonies, and Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, a favorite at weddings. Kraybill invited the audience to reflect on these meaningful milestones.
The second section was titled Connection and the Human Spirit. Kraybill explained how she picked songs from films to celebrate how they have become woven in our shared cultural consciousness. For example, the Star Wars theme and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz can transport listeners to the moments they first watched these films.
Kraybill ended the concert with a section titled Creating a Symphony of Hope. She said she designed the final section to uplift and encourage listeners, as well as to show how music can build bridges, spark memories and offer hope for the future. She ended the concert with “Toccata” from Symphony No. 5., one of the most requested organ pieces.
Following the moving performance, guests gathered in Brandmeyer Great Hall and enjoyed chocolates in celebration of the recent opening of Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place’s new Memory Care facility. Kraybill also spent time greeting a long line of attendees eager to share their own memories and impressions of the concert.
Kraybill said the deep connection people felt with the music moved her. Some told her it was their first organ concert, and they were surprised by how much they loved it. One attendee said she had never heard Barber’s Adagio for Strings before, and it unexpectedly moved her to tears.
Kraybill reflected on her purpose as a performer, saying she hopes each audience member leaves feeling changed for the better. “Music connects us to something beyond ourselves,” she said.
The Kauffman Center is grateful for Saint Luke’s and its commitment to the community. We also would like to thank Dr. Jan Kraybill for her heartfelt performance and the hundreds of people from our community who helped us recognize Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. This performance reminded us that music is more than entertainment.
Photos by Don Ipock.
